The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CHAPTER III THE STUDY CLARINE was perfectly astonished at her father’s liberality. The sum he had just agreed to pay on her behalf was a large one, and, as we have seen, she had previously fancied it to be totally incompatible with his means. She could not rightly comprehend whether he were stretching a point in a pecuniary sense for the purpose of affording her pleasure, or whether he were in reality better off than she had hitherto supposed him. She expressed herself in this uncertain man- ner to Lady Octavian Meredith, as they slowly retraced their way from the village to the chateau. “Your father,’’ said Zoe, “has just done you a great kindness in his own peculiar way. He used as few words as possible, but I have no doubt that in his heart he was rejoiced at being enabled to afford you pleasure.”’ ‘“‘ My father is always kind to me,” answered Clarine, who sincerely believed what she was saying, “‘and I am convinced that he loves me dearly. I do not remember for years past that he has spoken a harsh word to me.”’ ‘‘ Has your mother long been dead? ”’ inquired Lady Oc- tavian Meredith. ‘‘ Ever since I was a child,’ responded Clarine, ‘“ and I have no recollection of her. I think that my father must have loved her very, very dearly, because he cannot bear to speak of her. [I remember that when I was a girl I used some- times to ask him about my mother, but he invariably be- sought me not to mention her name. And then, too, I[ recollect he would turn aside abruptly, and would press his hand to his brow and seem deeply affected. Of late years I have never alluded to my departed mother, for I have been afraid of giving my father pain. You see that he is afflicted 22 CORMICLIOO KS (E(0)